I’ve been known to rock a Hello Kitty Band-Aid in my thirties, but I’m quite sure I wasn’t exactly the target demographic they had in mind! However, these new Mickey Mouse Band-Aids are geared towards adults and tweens with their retro Disney designs. I figure, why not? These leather and Louis Vuitton bandages just aren’t my style, so I’ll just keep it real with Mickey and Hello Kitty.

Disney fans and kids at heart can pick these up at Target locations this month for about $2.75. Are you a fan of novelty bandages, or do you prefer to be more discreet with your boo-boos and opt for plain ones instead?

It’s fun to push the envelope and take chances in beauty, but when it comes to self-tanning products–we prefer no surprises! Since May, I’ve subjected my skin to countless sunless tanning and bronzing products. Let’s just say some of those experiences were better than others! I’ve walked around town with streaks, splotches, and orange legs to prove my loyalty to the cause (and hopefully spare you the trauma)! And after all of those walks of shame where my tanning disasters were out in the open, I bring you the products that didn’t let me down in the hopes they serve you well too.

Best Smelling

Beautisol All Seasons Glow— The genius behind Beautisol is their innovative SMELL RIGHT™ fragrance technology. It encapsulates the unpleasant processing odor by up to 80%. I can personally verify that it’s quite possibly the best smelling tanning product on the market, and it works! Way to go Beautisol!

Let’s check in with Dilara again! She’s been putting the Instant Beauty serum from Talika to the test:

I love beauty products that accentuate your natural look, and when I tried this stuff, I felt like I hit the jackpot!

Talika Instant Beauty is made mostly of cornflower water and wheat extracts. In the beauty scene, cornflower water is a tried-and-true old school trick for getting rid of puffy eyes. Coupled with wheat extracts—which are rich in Vitamin E—and you’ve got a winning pair. The simple math says it all: Cornflower water + Wheat Extract= reduced puffy eyes, diminished wrinkles and fine lines.

My nails are no stranger to greige nail polishes, and the chances are you’ve picked up one (or five in my case) along the way for your nail polish collection too. And just when you think these murky, smoky shades have overstayed their welcome (and you’ve told yourself you won’t buy another), Chanel comes along like a drug pusher at a high school dance. Instead of getting all ABC Afterschool Special and just saying no–Mom hustled her way on down to the Chanel boutique for me to pick up a bottle instead. We love Moms like that, don’t we? She’s such an enabler, but I digress–it’s all about the Paradoxal!

Paradoxal was such a bee-yotch to try to capture in photos, it’s this incredible dark violet/plum/mushroom/gray/brown masterpiece, with shimmer so subtle it can hardly be seen once you’re wearing it. You know I have nooooooo problems with rocking this autumn nail color in July!

Natural beauties take note, Tarte is turning 10! In celebration of a decade of healthy glam makeup, they created this limited-edition spin on their popular line of cheek stains. TEN is a bright pink with very subtle shimmer, housed in a signature Tarte-purple tube with gold studs. Since TEN on the sheer side, you really have to look hard for the shimmer as it’s not super prominent, it’s barely there to my eyes. As a fair gal, I love what bright pinks do to cheer up my complexion, so this pairs up pretty nicely for me on an easy day where I just throw on some tinted moisturizer and go.

TEN is rich in skin-protecting antioxidants like acai berry extract, goji berry, extract, and pomegranate. It’s almost like it’s having an identity crisis–am I a cheek stain, or am I skincare? Which way do I go? Lovers of matte makeup or those with oily skin may wish to steer clear of this due to it’s dewy appearance. If you prefer fresh & dewy though, you’re in luck! This does give that cheery “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed” effect. Any Tarte fans in the house?

An editorial sample was provided by the company and evaluated to determine my opinion of the product in this post. Please see the Disclosures page for further information regarding my policies for using editorial samples.

Last week, I took a short drive out to the Garnier Beach House in Malibu to check out some of the newest Garnier goodies. They’re really coming out with some innovative products lately–and more on that in a second!

Audrina Patridge was hanging out after finishing up a photo shoot, and I had a chance to ask The Hills star about her favorite summer beauty items. Audrina told me she spends a lot of time in the sun or at the beach, so she likes the protection that the Garnier Fructis Color Shield Instant Color Sealer Lightweight Leave-In adds to her highlighted locks. (Which are gorgeous in person, BTW!) I asked her what her favorite summer makeup product was–and like me, Audrina is a fan of NARS bronzer. Okay, so now we have something in common!

Garnier just launched some new skincare products that I’m testing out from the Moisture Rescuecollection (Fresh Cleansing Foam, Lightweight UV Lotion, and Refreshing Gel Cream), so details on those are coming soon! But one new product I was completely fascinated by was the Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Blow Dry Perfector:

I’ve gotta be honest. When I think of hair products, Avon usually isn’t the first brand that immediately comes to mind. They’ve got some great ones in their Advance Techniques arsenal that I like, but I don’t freak out when they’re empty. Their new product, Lotus Shield just might change that!

What’s Lotus Shield and what makes it so special to me? It’s a new styling product that acts as water repellent, fighting off the moisture in the air that contributes to frizz for up to three shampoos. I distributed a few drops of the milky serum into my damp hair over the weekend and it completely made me a believer! As someone with fine hair, most silicone-based serums leave my hair flat–and I can feel a slick coating on my hair. Lotus Shield was super lightweight and didn’t feel greasy or slick. It just sat like a silent hair product partner in the background doing it’s job of reducing frizz, without interfering with the performance of my other products. Often I feel like I have to sacrifice using other products in my styling routine when I use anti-frizz serums and I have to choose. I’m still able to use volumizing products with Lotus Shield without them conflicting with each other. With it’s delicate fragrance, budget-friendly price, and great performance–you should check this one out!

Also, check out this video on Avon’s You Tube channel, where you can see some of the pretty fabulous results on test participants who even sat in a humidity chamber with Lotus Shield on only half of their hair. You can get Avon Advance Techniques Frizz Control Lotus Shield from your Avon representative, or on avon.com.

An editorial sample was provided by the company and evaluated to determine my opinion of the product in this post. Please see the Disclosures page for further information regarding my policies for using editorial samples.

My pal Dilara is definitely the most environmentally responsible friend I have. She even makes her own laundry detergent! She’s also a natural product aficionado, so who better to review the Bioelements All Things Pure line? Here’s the skinny:

I recycle. I eat locally-grown produce and meat. I was bringing my own bags to the grocery store before it was fashionable. I’ve been known to smear an avocado on my face for the sake of beauty. Needless to say, when I got a hold of Bioelements All Things Pure line, I couldn’t wait to try it!

The Bioelements All Things Pure line is certified by the Natural Products Association. That means each of these products meets the standards for natural ingredients, safety, responsibility and sustainability. While some beauty products boast about not testing on animals, these guys go above and beyond that by vowing not to use artificial colorants or synthetic fragrances. They also package their items in glass bottles instead of plastic which is much more environmentally friendly and protects the longevity of the product. The box itself outlines the ingredients one by one along with a description of its beauty benefits. And get this—all the products have about 12 ingredients or less. With so many scary stories you hear in the beauty industry, it makes me feel good to know that I know what I am putting on my face each day.